Electrical compensator



Filed Dec. 12, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 illllllllillllllllllllll INVENTO Feb. 21, 1939. w, KUNZE I 2,147,657

ELECTRICAL COMPENSATOR Filed Dec. 12, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 HQVENTOR BY Cd M f A TORNEY Patented Feb. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES 2,147,657 ELECTRICAL COMPENSATOR Willy Kunze, Bremen, Germany, asslgnor to Submarine Signal Company, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Maine Application December 12, 1934, Serial No. 757,240

In Germany September 27, 1933 5 Claims.

The present invention relates to electrical compensators and more particularly to compensators to be used with multispot groups which are arranged over a surface.

More particularly the present invention relates to the type of compensator in which bearings are taken on acoustical or compressional wave signals by the so-called maximum or minimum method in which all of the energy from a group of spaced pickup units is collected and transmitted to an indicating device which might be a listening telephone or some other method of indication.

In some of the systems of the prior art there has been used a type of compensator in which the contact elements are arranged on a flat surface as parallel insulated strips over which there is moved a group of contact brushes spaced with respect to one another in relatively the same positions as the projection of the pickup units on a given plane. This compensator is sometimes known as the strip compensator because the conducting segments form strips on a flat surface. The present invention relates to an improvement of this type of compensator and has a number of advantages both from the point of view of construction and operation.

In the present invention the element containing' the conducting segments is considerably smaller in size than that used in devices of the prior art. This is possible because of the difierent form of construction as will appear later. I

In addition to this in the present invention the segments are so arranged that the brushes bearing upon them move substantially perpendicular to the edges dividing the segments one from another and therefore the travel across the segments from one segment to another segment is accomplished in a comparatively rapid time, thus decreasing the time that two segments are connected one to the other. In the flat compensator type the brushes pass over the segments rapidly when their line of motion-is substantiallyperpendicular to the parallel lines, but when the brushes are in the position that they move substantially or nearly parallel to the lineof the segments, then at these times there is a period of long contact between adjacent segments.

The present invention is also adaptable to adjust for variation in the velocity in the sound of the propagating medium and this can be and is cared for in a simple manner, as will be noted from the construction in the embodiment shown. The invention, besides taking the form of a conical section in the construction of the contact .which the spacing of the brushes may be adjusted to account for the change in velocity of sound in the propogating medium;

Figure 7 shows a sectional view of the element as shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 shows an elevation of the modification of the means indicated in Figure 6 and shows'in particular the means by which the adjustment for velocity may be efiected in the type of compensator indicated in Figures 1 to 5; and

Figure 9 indicates a plan view showing an adjustment or the means shown in Figure 8.

In Figure 1 the contact plate i is made up of a series of parallel segments 2, 2,- 2 between which is' some suitable insulation as indicated by the separations 3, ti, 3. This may be mica or some other form of insulation suitable for compensator apparatus. The segments 2, 2, 2, etc with the insulation between are bound together by a clamp or ring 5 at the lower end of the plate. As indicated in Figure 1, the segments are formed as parallel slices of a frustrated cone, the slices being taken parallel to the axis of the cone. The band 5 may be of insulating material from the cone by means of special insulating lining 6.

At the lower end of the segments connections are made to the sections of the compensator line i. As indicated in Figure 1 this line is similar 40 to the line usually used in compensators of the maximum type in that series elements are permanently connected and taps are taken between sections to each segment of the compensator. In this type of compensator the sound may be picked up on two or more pickup units l6 and I1, each being connected to a slip ring on the compensator shaft. The slipv rings are indicated as l2 and I3 to which the current from the receivers l6 and I1 is conducted through the brushes l4 and I5. The slip rings I2 and N are mounted on the compensator shaft 8 which is aligned with the axis of the cone but is not connected with it. Carried on the shaft 8 is an extending arm 8a; from which there projects downward parallel to,

the edge of the cone an arm carrying the brush holders I0 and 'I I which are connected, respectively, to the collector rings I3 and I2. The brush holders carrying the brushes contacting with the segments on the contact cone are adjustable in any desired position along the arm or rod 9.

In the operation of the compensator, as indicated in Figure 1, if the sound is approaching inthe direction of the arrow 2 I, as shown in the flgure, it will be received by the receiver I 6 before it is received by the receiver I1. It is obvious. therefore, that the receiver I6 should have sufiicient retardation between it and the receiver I! so that when both sounds arrive at the indicating device, as shown by I00 at the left end of'the line I, the energy impulses will be in phase.

In the view as shown in Figure i, it will be noted that the brush to which the receiver II is connected impresses the sound energy which has been converted into electrical energy upon the section of the line that is third from the telephone end and that the energy from the receiver I1 is impressed at the end-section of the line near the telephone receiver. .In the position of the apparatus as shown in Figure 1 the space between the receivers I6 and I! is compensated by the three sections indicated. If the sound were coming from a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow, then it will be obvious that the same retardation should be obtained, but

that at this time the retardation should be. in the line of the receiver I'I rather than in the line 'of the receiver I4. In the position Just mentioned the indicator I9 will be rotated by the handwheel I 0 to a position 180 degrees opposite from-where it is as indicated in Figure 1. In this position the brush in the holder I0 will connect to the section of the line at the end furthest from the telephone I00, whereas the brush in the holder II will connect to a segment that is connected to the third section from the end. The receiver I! will, therefore, have three sections more of the line 1 than the receiver I 4 and'therefore a similar compensation will occur.

In Figure 2 there is shown a form of contact body made up of parallel segments 22 whose surfaces are formed with sloping sides 24, 24, 25,

20, 21 and 20 and a flat portion IOI. The brushes as shown by 29, 30 and II which would connect to three different pickup units may be adjusted in positions on the slope of the contact body and be rotated by a device similar to that shown in Figure 1.

In Figure 3 the body made up of the segments 32 are put together to' form steps as indicated by the sides 34, 35, ll, 31 and 30. These steps may be proportioned in any desired arrangement and, as shown in Figure 3, may be larger than the steps shown in Figure 2.

Other forms of the contact body are shown in Figures 4 and 5. In Figure 4 the upper step 45 is capped by a flat surface so that the brush rotating about this step will range over more line sections than that shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The size of the steps and the number of the steps, as well as their shape, may be varied and, in fact, as indicated in Figure 4, the steps may be cut relatively to the segments so that they are half segments in width. This is indicated in Figure 4 in the steps 42, 43, and 44 each of which is half as wide as the individual segments, whereas in Figure 3 the steps are the width of the segments.

The form shown in Figure 4 may be flattened, if desired, to the arrangement shown in Figure 5. In this case the steps are shown as of uneven dimensions, the step 46 being considerably wider( than the step 41 since 41 takes only-onc-half segment while 46 occupies two segments.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 8 the contact body I02 is provided with parallel segments I03, I03, I03, etc., which are sloped at the surfaces to form a curved surface slightly concave as indicated by the. line D of the surface. As will be presently indicated if the surface is shaped in this manner, then a vertical adjustment of the contact brushes will take care of varying cond' tions of differences in velocities caused by variation in temperature of the transmitting medium.

In Figures 6 and 7 the same principle is shown as applied to a flat strip surface. In this case the sections of the line I04 may be connected to the segments ofthe flat strips I05, I05, etc., and the contact brushes I06 are positioned to move over the segments by rotation of the arms I01 from a common source or handwheel as the case may be. In order to make a proper adjustment for temperature variations there is provided, as indicated in Figure 6, a template I08 which has three curved portions I09, H0 and III. These curvedportions bear against the inneredge of the brushes I 06 which are themselves set in a spring holder II2, tensioned against a spring II3, whereby they may be moved by movement of the template outwardly or inwardly along the axis of the arm I0'I. v I

The templates I09, H0 and III are so cut that for the same angular rotation each brush is moved the same proportion outwardly or inwardly of its original arm length, that is if one of the brushes is moved outwardly by a motion of the template of 15 degrees, each of the other brushes is similarly moved outwardly 5% of the original arm length from the axis of rotation. In this way it is evident that each arm may'properly be adjusted for variation in velocity of the propagating medium. If the propagating medium is water, this adjustment, while small, becomes of considerable importance in multispot compensation especially where the sound is of higher frequencies'.

If the curve of the template is computed, it will be seen that this curve is in the form of a simple spiral such as may be expressed by the equation where r is equal to the length of the brush arms from the center of rotation and 0 is the angle of rotation of each arm from its initial normal position. The same effect which is obtained by the templates of Figure 6 may likewise be obtained in the formation of'the concave surface of Figure 8.

In Figure 8 it will be noted that the brushes II4, II! and H8 are held against the surface D of the contact body by means of springs III contained within the holder II8. Each brush and holder are heldin position or suspended by means of the arms H9, I20, etc., which form a part of a frame or spider I2I supported by the hub I22 shown towards the top of Figure 8. The hub I22 threads into a shaft I23 which is itself supported or suspended to the collar I24 by means of a flanged portion I25 which sets or rests upon a shoulder I20 formed in the collar I24. The collar I24 is supported by the handwheel I21 to which it is keyed through the key I28, the handwheel resting on a bossed surface I29 of the frame I30 of the compensator. At the lower end of the collar I24 there extends a frame or flange III from which there are supported perpendicularly downward, as indicated in Figure 8, pins or rods I42 which extend into holes in the spider or frame I 2|. The threaded shaft I23 may be turned by means of the head I33, in which case the hub I22 carrying the arms II9, I20, etc., is adjustable perpendicularly within the collar I24. As indl cated in Figure 8, the hub I22 may be raised a I considerable distance to the top of the collar I24,

and in the same manner'each brush will be raised a distance indicated by the height h in the figure. If the shape of the surface D is of such a nature that each brush is moved inwardly the same percent of its original distance, then the correction for a variation in temperature will be proper for each receiver.

Figure 9 shows a plan view indicating the actual variation in length of the arms from a change in position by/raising the arm the height h indicated in Figure 8. In such a case the brush H5 will take'the position I333. The brush H6 will take the position I34 and the brush III will take the position I35.

In Figure 7 there is shown a plan view of the device indicated in Figure 6 which shows the strips I05, I05 as fiat strips and the brush arms I01, I01 as supported from 'a common central shaft I 30. In this case the templates I 08 are supported within the shaft I36 by the shaft I31.

The system is operated as a compensator would be used in determining direction of a source of sound waves: In the apparatus shown in Figure 1 the operator would rotate the handwheel I8 until a maximum response would be audible in the telephone I00. In such a case where'the receivers are installed so that no ambiguity of direction can be present which itself is immediately eliminated when thc receivers are not installed in a straight line, the receiver nearest to the wave front will have the maximum compensation and the impulse from this receiver will be received on the line I at a position furthest from the-telephone I00. The "compensator shown in Figure 8 is operated in exactly the same way and in addition thereto if a water test indicates that the velocity of sound in water has changed from the position for which the arms are adjusted, then the whole frame may be raised or lowered to correct for the proper temperature or velocity conditions.

In general, temperature corrections become important as sound frequencies increase since an increase in frequency means a more rapid shift in the phase-angle for an equal time interval. If the phase between the compensated position for the various receivers is not zero, then the actual values of sound intensities will not be the plain sum of the vector magnitudes but will only be the components in the same phase direction. Under these circumstances the full maximum sound intensity will not be received and not only may the range of reception be considerably affected, but also the accuracy of observation.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. An electrical compensator switch of the type described including an electrical contact surface formed as a cone having a great number of parallel flat segments insulated one from the other, means holding said segments together, the edges of said segments forming said curved continuous surface endless upon itself, a plurality of brushes, means adjustably positioning said brushes at various points on said contact surface and means for rotating said brushes in a uniform motion about said surface in a line coincident with the axis of the cone, said means including a handwheel and an indicator associated therewith for indicating the position of said brushes.

2. An electrical compensator switch comprising a contact surface made up of parallel fiat segments insulated one from the other, means positioned at one end of said switch for holdin said segments together, said surface forming a frustrated conical surface, a plurality of contact brushes, means for supporting said brushes by the unitary supporting means, means for adjusting the position of said brushes with respect to one another on the contact surface, and means for simultaneously rotating said brushes over said contact surface.

3. An electrical compensator switch comprising a contact surface made up of a plurality of parallel contact segments forming strips insulated one from the other, a plurality of brushes, means for supporting said brushes over said contact surface, said means including a single supporting element rotatably positioned with respect to said contact surface and means including the contour of said contact surface for simultaneously adjusting the position of said contact brushes relatively the same percentage of the distance of said brushes from said rotatable supporting means.

4. In an electric compensator switch of the type described having a plurality of parallel insulated segments forming a continuous stu'face somewhat conical in shape and a plurality of brushes adapted to be rotated from a single position over said segments, means for adjustably positioning said brushes away from or towards the point of rotation by a distance equivalent to the same percentage of the distance of the brushes from the point of rotation.

5. An electrical compensator switch of the type described comprising, in combination, means forming a surface having laminated conducting elements insulated one fromthe other, said surface having an axis of symmetry and having its laminations formed parallel to said axis, means supported in line with said axis of symmetry and free to be rotated about the same, a plurality of contact arms carried by said means, said contact arms having contact elements projecting substantially normal to said axis and contacting with the surface of said switch and means for raising said contact arms in the direction of the axis of symmetry of said switch and means for maintaining said contact elements in contact at all times with said contact surface.

WILLY KUNZE. 

